January 5, 2021 10.34 am This story is over 38 months old

Police fine councillor £200 for driving during virtual meeting

The incident was caught on video
Councillor Brown checks the video feed several times while his vehicle appears to still be moving.

A Boston borough councillor seen driving while attending a virtual council meeting has been handed a £200 fine and six points on his licence.

Councillor David Brown stepped down from his role on Friday, September 11, after admitting he “shouldn’t have joined” a virtual cabinet meeting the Wednesday prior.

The former portfolio holder for Tourism, Arts and Culture at Boston Borough Council had remained under police investigation for several weeks.

However, it has now been confirmed the investigation was handed to Norfolk Police due to it taking place on the A10.

A force spokesperson said: “Norfolk police have investigated an incident where a man was seen to be using a mobile phone whilst driving on the A10 on Wednesday, September 9, 2020.

“Following a review of the evidence a fixed penalty notice was issued to the driver which resulted in a £200 fine and six points on the driver’s license.”

The meeting was live-streamed and the video in full later appeared on the council’s YouTube channel.

In the footage, the vehicle Councillor Brown is sat in is clearly moving.

Councillor Brown has his hands on the wheel, however, on several occasions he fiddles with the device he is using to attend the meeting, moving it closer to his face and readjusting its position.

This goes on for 20 minutes before Councillor Brown disappears from view. When he reappears it looks like he was parked up for the rest of the meeting.

The incident sparked several reports to Lincolnshire Police and Boston Borough Council.

A Boston Borough Council spokesperson said the authority would not be making any further comment on the case.